


seeing through

by oantokki



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Highschool AU, M/M, Photographer Nico, Swimmer Percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:25:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oantokki/pseuds/oantokki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico realized he hadn't picked up his camera once.</p>
            </blockquote>





	seeing through

This was the third day he came here, camera in hand, seated on the bleachers, roof shading him from the intense heat. He'd calculated it carefully, slipping inside the fenced area, skipping a few days in between purposefully so as not to seem like a creep. In hindsight, it would probably make it worse, but thankfully no one noticed him. He was quiet, after all, and blended in perfectly with the crowd that seemed to always gather in the pool area's bleachers. Nico paid no mind to them, lenses pointed only at those in the water. Particularly one person.

He'd caught Nico's attention immediately, even through the fences that separated the pool from the rest of the student body. The first time he stumbled into that area, Nico couldn't take his eyes off him, following the figure rushing through the water, strong and elegant. Said figure soon emerged from the pool, pulling off his cap to reveal messy dark hair, goggles around his neck, and a proud grin on his lips, gaze directed toward an older man bounded towards him with a clipboard in hand. Water dripped down the swimmer's broad back, even splashing bits of water at presumably his coach as he gestured with his hands, laugh loud and clear even from where Nico stood.

Nico realized he hadn't picked up his camera once. 

He never failed to take a photo opportunity. Anything he found beautiful or interesting, he'd immediately raise his camera up to take a photo of it. That was his thing, you see. So it was particularly upsetting he never got to take even one picture of the man. 

And there was his excuse (it was the only way he'll allow himself to go to the pool a second time). 

He came back the next day, "photography studies" he called it, his lens only following the one dark-haired swimmer. He was absolutely mesmerized. The way he moved was beautiful yet strong, effortlessly moving through the water. God, he felt like a stalker. Maybe he should ask him, go up and ask him if it was even okay for him to be taking pictures of the man. But every time he looked up, the swimmer was always surrounded by friends, with that same smile directed at them. Untouchable.

So he put it off. Swore to himself he would never come back. But he couldn't keep his thoughts away. Whenever he was idle, he'd think of him. Whenever he raised his camera up, he'd think of him. Whenever he'd look through the pictures he had, he'd pause a little too long at ones of the swimmer. And whenever he'd try to delete it --

He couldn't even think about that.

That was how he found himself coming back. Just one more and he was done with him. One last time and he was going to bury this stupid... whatever it was. God, Nico wished he wasn't so gorgeous. Maybe he was one of those guys who looked great but had an awful personality? Ha, as if. The man looked like the standard popular good guy, loved by everyone, surrounded by friends, would live in a house surrounded by a white picket fence with two kids.

Nico scowled to himself at that.

When the swimmer had finished, pulling himself up from the pool and walking towards friends, Nico lowered his camera, checking the pictures he'd taken. He'd go through them one by one, zoom in, zoom out, (delete), too blurry, too light, too dark, (delete), hands moving almost automatically, (ah, that one was nice), a smile spreading across his lips when he found one he particularly liked --

"Hey, that's a cool shot!" 

Nico almost dropped his camera. Instead, he scrambled to the side, pulling it close to his chest and looking up with surprise (and a hint of horror) at the ever so familiar figure looking down at him with worry.

"Woah, is your camera alright? Sorry, I must've surprised you, huh?"  
  
He hadn't expected this. He could feel his chest tightening, unable to breathe, panic washing all over him. Fuck, fuck, fuck, what was he going to do now? He must seem disgusting to him. Who even  _was_ Nico? Who was this creepy kid sitting alone and taking pictures of him? Surely, that was what was going through the swimmer's mind.

"Uh, I'm Percy Jackson. Is it for photography club? Or the school paper or something?"  
  
It was only then he realized he hadn't spoken a word to Percy (shit, was that his name? That sounded nice). It was only then, too, that he became fully aware of his presence, eyes quickly darting down to avoid looking at his bare chest.  _Fuck._

"Photography club..." Quietly, he turned off the camera in his hand, covering the lens again. 

"I knew it! So is it one of your assignments or something?" he asked, and had taken a seat (a seat!) next to him, keeping his distance a little to keep Nico from getting wet. 

"Something like that." 

A lie. 

"I see, I see." Quick pause. "Sooo, I noticed you've been hanging around here. I'm guessing the swim team's your subject?" A small squeak came from the back of his throat, Percy only seeming to take it as his way of saying yes. "That's pretty cool! You should show us some of your photos some time!" 

_Yeah, they're all of you._

"...Maybe. I'll think about it."  
  
"Great!  Looking forward to it! So hey, what year are you in--" A whistle sounded right then, followed by a loud yell of  _Jackson!_ , both quickly turning their heads towards the older man with the clipboard, anger clear on his face.

"Uh-oh. Coach calling, I better go." 

"Yeah, he looks pissed." 

Shit, he didn't even mean to respond, and definitely not in that amused tone that indicated a hint of interest, but when he looked back at Percy, the swimmer was practically beaming at him. 

If he could be knocked out by a smile, Percy's would do it. 

"Right?  He can look even pissier, you know. Hang out here long enough, and you'll see." He laughed, the same loud laugh Nico had heard the first time. Absolutely mesmerizing. "Anyway, don't think I wanna scare you yet, so I better get back to practice. See ya!" 

Percy stood, immediately starting down the bleachers before pausing. Nico looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, watching as the man started back up the bleachers, stopping right in front of him --

"Sorry, that was rude. I don't think I asked for your name." 

Oh. 

"It's Nico. With a C." 

"Got it! See you again, Nico with a C!" 

And Percy was bounding back down, standing in front of his coach with a sheepish smile, Nico able to hear yelling from the coach, but unable to make out the words. He should look away, he really should. He should leave! Yeah, that's what he should be doing. Sitting around here wasn't going to make his heartbeat go any slower, wasn't going to keep his hands from shaking as he held his camera, wasn't going to keep him from taking another glance --

Ah, it was that smile again. And this time it was directed right at Nico. Toothy grin and a bright, friendly face was enough for Nico's face to go bright red, quickly looking away as if he hadn't seen anything, quickly packing his things and shoving some of his stuff into his backpack, pointedly looking away from the direction of the pool. 

Percy Jackson was a dangerous person and he was starting to crawl his way into Nico's heart. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly haven't made up my mind if I want to make this a chaptered fic or just make drabbles for it lol I do have a couple of snippets for it here and there, just basically me jumping around. I'm glad I finally wrote a Percico god I've been meaning to for so long... (This is very self-indulgent laughs)


End file.
